This is a creamy and slightly sweet home-made oat milk – a doddle to make so you never run out! Some people don’t tolerate cow’s milk and there has been a massive upsurge of interest in plant-based milks over the past few years.
However, commercial oat milks are usually very low in calcium or fortified with types of calcium that are hard to absorb easily. Many oat milks also have emulsifiers and acidity regulators added to them which are often not tolerated by sensitive tummies. Some people also need gluten-free oat milk or prefer organic which can get expensive.
I have therefore created a super easy oat milk you can make at home that contains a very special type of calcium made from marine algae, which is vegan and also packed with minerals that help to build healthy bones. This makes 1 litre of oat milk with 1,200mg calcium. 100ml of cow’s milk normally provides 120ml calcium.
This milk is suitable from 12 months old and should never be used as a replacement for infant milk formula.
- 1 cup Porridge Oats
- 1 litre Filtered Water
- 2 Medjool Dates (pitted)
- 4 capsules Lifestream Calcium
- Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender for 30 seconds. Be careful not to over blend.
- Strain through a fine sieve into a jug or glass bowl – let this drip through slowly and discard any oats of thick liquid remaining in the sieve after a couple of minutes. Do not be tempted to push these through as this can make the milk quite slimy.
- Wash the sieve and strain the oat milk once again so it becomes extra smooth and creamy. Again, discard any oats or thick liquid remaining, if you want to keep it as palatable as possible.
- Store in a covered jug or sealed glass jar for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- The liquid and oats will naturally separate, so do give it a good stir each time you pour it.
- Add 3 teaspoons of hulled hemp seeds to add some omega 3 and calcium
- Use Gluten-free oats if necessary
- Get Lifestream Calcium at naturedoc.shop.
Hi. Just wondering if it would still taste ok without the dates?
Thanks
Hi Alex – it is great without the dates if you do not have a sweet tooth or need to avoid sugar entirely
Thank you. We currently use rude health but it is expensive like you said. My daughter has Cows Milk Protein Allergy so I’m always keeping an eye out fir how to increase calcium. She also has a histamine intolerance. Would your recipe be OK for that? Many thanks
Hi Sylvie – for someone with a histamine intolerance then swap the dates for 2 teaspoons maple syrup – I hope she enjoys it!
Fabulous, many thanks.
Hi, I usually take “Together” calcium from purified seaweed capsules. Woukd I be able to substitute these or is there a reason I should use these specific calcium capsules please? Thank you.
This is a very similar product and would work well instead – 1 capsule also equals about 300mg calcium
Hi! Can I add the correct amount of capsules to PLENISH milk if I need a quick fix for my son with CMPA? I really struggle with finding organic low sugar mills for him (we don’t live in the UK)
Yes you can easily do this and blend them up for a few seconds to help mix the calcium easily
Hi Lucinda. Can you freeze the oats milk?
Thanks
Zena
Yes, you can for up to 3 months.
Would this be ok to drink on a daily basis for my 7 & 10 year old please?
Yes just as much as you might give your children bought oat milk or other plant milks – can be used in baking, porridge, milk shakes or for drinking straight
Thank you for highlighting the importance of calcium. Once its been added to the oat milk can it be heated up? My daughter loves warm milk. Thank you
Luckily calcium does not get destroyed by cooking (nor do any other minerals), so you can definitely cook with and heat calcium-fortified milk.
Along with calcium, is it also better to add Vitamin D3? How can we do that?
The Vitamin D in fortified foods and drinks is usually minimal and this is partly why the government recommend that everyone (except for babies consuming more than 500ml of infant formula) takes at least 400iu Vitamin D as a food supplement between October and March in the UK. You could in theory add one 400iu tasteless drop to 120ml/1 small glass of oat milk on the day you are going to consume it.
It seems Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium.
1 cup of the store brand Oatly has 20% of Vitamin D added to it (~144 IU)
From the NIH.gov site:
“The body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium…. Experts recommend a daily intake of 600 IU of vitamin D up to age 70.”
https://www.bones.nih.gov/health-info/bone/bone-health/nutrition/calcium-and-vitamin-d-important-every-age
I found this site with more details on adding calcium, vitamin D and B12
https://caloriebee.com/nutrition/How-to-Fortify-Plant-Milks-Mylk-At-Home